In the first four months of this year, a staggering 46% of cyber frauds reported in India, resulting in an estimated loss of Rs 1,776 crore, originated from three Southeast Asian countries: Myanmar, Laos, and Cambodia, according to the Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre (I4C). The I4C, operating under the Union Home Ministry, aims to prevent, detect, investigate, and prosecute cybercrimes.
From January to April, the National Cybercrime Reporting Portal (NCRP) logged 7.4 lakh complaints. For comparison, all of 2023 saw 15.56 lakh complaints. Previous years reported 9.66 lakh in 2022, 4.52 lakh in 2021, 2.57 lakh in 2020, and 26,049 in 2019.
The I4C identified four major types of fraud from these countries:
Trading Scams: Fraudsters advertised free trading tips using images of well-known stock market experts and fake news articles. Victims were added to WhatsApp groups or Telegram channels, persuaded to install unregistered trading apps, and asked to invest money. They were shown fake profits but couldn’t withdraw funds until accumulating significant amounts, often having to pay “taxes” on these profits. This scam alone caused losses of Rs 1,420.48 crore.
Digital Arrest Scams: Victims received calls claiming they were involved in illegal activities. The fraudsters, posing as law enforcement officials, demanded money for a “compromise.” In some cases, victims were forced to stay visible to the scammers via video calls until demands were met, resulting in losses of Rs 120.30 crore.
Investment Scams (Task-Based): Victims were lured by messages offering high returns for simple online tasks. Initial small payments were followed by demands for larger investments, which victims never recovered. This scam led to losses of Rs 222.58 crore.
Romance/Dating Scams: Male victims were tricked by individuals posing as foreign women seeking relationships or marriage. The scam typically ended with a plea for money to resolve an issue like being detained at an airport. This scam cost victims Rs 13.23 crore.
The I4C’s analysis pointed to these Southeast Asian countries due to numerous web applications featuring Mandarin characters, suggesting possible Chinese connections. Cybercrime operations in these regions effectively use social media to lure Indians with fake employment opportunities.
